Windshield wiper



Aug. 18,1953 H. B; GORDON ETAL WINDSHIELD WIPER lFiled May 15, 194e l VIII .Ha r' an afg@ l .lvmwwwwPW/l W Z x k ww :W l 0 9 Mw 0 C ah K IL 1H, J 4 3 .n

Patented ug. 18, 1953 WINDSHIELD WIPER Harry B. Gordon, Glenview, and Aaron Gordon, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 15, 1946, Serial No. 669,901

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to windshield wipers.

' An object of our invention is to provide a windshield wiper adapted to discharge fluid against the windshield 'in advance of the squeegee, for cleaning the windshield of mud, preventing icing, etc.

Another object is to provide a windshield wiper blade structure which is readily attachable to and detachable from the operating arm. A further object is to provide a windshield wiper blade structure which is readily attachable to and detachable from the wiper arm and, when attached, has a duid-tight connection therewith. An additional object is to provide a windshield wiper arm structure adapted to be supplied with fluid while moving to and fro across the windshield and at the same tune to discharge such fluid onto the windshield.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be better understood upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. l is a vertical view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing an illustrative form of installation of a windshield wiper system in accordance with one form of our invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing details of the wiper construction.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken as indicated by the lines 3 3, 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view showing further details.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but of a modication.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational View taken as indicated by the line 8 8 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but shows a modified wiper arm, of which a part appears in Fig. 7.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown at I a windshield such as that carried by an automotive or other vehicle, with a vacuum, electric or other suitable motor II suitably mounted as on the cowl I2 and having a shaft E4 extended through the cowl and into the hub I6 of a wiper arm I8, where it is secured. as by a nut 2D. The shaft I4 is preferably flexible or flexibly mounted and arranged to urge the wiper arm I8 toward the windshield and allow the wiper arm to be swung away from the windshield. A container 24 which may be mounted. at any suitable point, as for example within the hood 26, may contain water, glycerine or any other suitable windshield treating liquid 28, which one may desire to have applied to the windshield surface 30 for cleaning off mud, preventing icing and any other purpose. A tube 3,2 immersed in the liquid 28 is extended through a grommet in a hole 33 in the cowl I2 and has connected thereto a copper or other suitable thin tube 34 which is coiled as at 36 about the hub I6 and extends from the coiled portion longitudinally as shown at 38 along and preferablyv within the confines of the arm I8, which is preferably substantially channel shaped substantially throughout its length. The portion 38 of the tube 34 terminates in a goose neck 40 whose free end is substantially ball shaped as shown at 42, with a discharge opening 44. The lower end of the arm I8 may be substantially circular as shown at 66 and affords protection for the coiled portion 36 o-f the tube 34.V The motor II causes oscillation of the arm I8, and the tube 34 is of such resilience that the coil portion 36 is able to withstand the torsional stresses applied thereto by such oscillation.

Further in accordance with one form of our invention there is provided a wiper body or unit 5l) comprising a channel shaped backing member or holder 52 in which the base 54 of a resil- Aient rubber or like squeegee element 56 is securely mounted. The element 56 beyond the holder 52 is preferably tubular as shown at 58 and is preferably closed at its ends 60 but is provided with a longitudinal series of relatively fine discharge ports 62 between a pair of wiping blades or vanes 64, or manifestly the ports could be arranged on one or opposite sides of a single wiping blade, as will appear.

Projecting from the base 54 of the squeegee element 56 and through the web 68 of the holder 52 is a boss lll, a passage 'I2 extending through the base and boss, the portion of said passage within the boss having a spherical enlargement 'I4 of a size to embrace the ball 42 with a universally adjustable yet liquid-tight and air-tight fit. The outer end of the passage 'I2 is flared as at 'I6 to facilitate introduction of the ball 42, and the passage is of sufficient size in relation to the ball 42, and the rubber or like material of the boss 'lll is of such elasticity, that the ball can be readily forced into and removed from the socket 14, and when the ball is in the socket it is tight- 1y held, yet the squeegee unit 50 has the freedom of movement needed under operating conditions.

For the purpose of holding the squeegee unit 5D in substantial alinement with the wiper arm I8, we may employ leaf springs rriveted' or 3 welded as at 82 preferably to the flanges 84 of the channel holder 52 and extending at opposite sides of and beyond the boss 10 and having their free end portions 8B disposed to resiliently straddle the anges 88 of the wiper arm, the terminals of said end portions being preferably flared as at 90 to facilitate entrance of the wiper arm between the springs as the ball 42 is about to be inserted intavthe'socket 14. It will be observed that the' wiper arm llt-has an ove'rhanging end wall 94 which closes the upper end of the channel of the wiper arm and cooperates with the chari-A nel in protecting the goose neck portion 40-ofthetube 34.

To place the liquid 28 undr'pressrgweay' connect to the upper part of the contain'e'r 24 a conduit |02 connected to afsuitablesupplyoi' hot or other air or other gas under pressure, such as may be available in the exhaust -n'ian'ifold of the enginey or a compressed air reservoir or the: like; such source' being. diagrammaticallyshown as at' 04'.

It may be desiredlto: supply air' or otherT gas instead of. the liquidi 28'- toithe'squeegee unit 50'.- To' this endV we: provide aI conduit' |08 between the conduits 32'1andi |02, a'nd,.ast-the junctureof the conduits |021 and |08, provide'a three-way valve H0. Whenlthe@ valve ||0= is'operated to blockv passage of lthef gas-totlie conduit |02, the gasl bypa'sses-theicontainery and, Via the conduits |08vv and- 324,1 enters thefsQueegee unit 50i and 1s dischargedthrougli th'e' ports 52; When the valve |10 is operatedtoi=bl'ock passagefofsthe gas to the conduitl |08.; .thergas'V places theliquid- 28E under pressure, forcing .the4 liquid through the conduit 32 toibefd'i'scharged through 'thefportslBL When the: valve |0tisop'erated to its ythird adjustment, itsblockssesc'ape of'gas from thesource- |04, and then:- the1wiper1/is :operative theffconventional manner, ixegwithont huid.

Afmodiinedosqueegeerunit lis shown in Figs'.- iandr Shcoopierating.Lwith-v a modined-wiper armshown in Figs. 7 and 9. Hereffwefemploya rubd ber or other suitablef'preferably:elastickvane'for bladeil 2uwedgedor.otherwise:suitablysecuredas inasgrooizeforidepression-,|22 in the=wall-|24of a tubular backingmemberior holder |26'which -is completely? closed. except'y forf aff hole |28; whichmay beiround, inthe opposite wall |30 anda series ofdischargeport's |32- in-the wall |24atV eachtside'lof'the depressionA |22, the series at one side abeing'.V preferably: staggered :relativewtov the series at the.: other side: The holelzisfdisposedpreferablycsubstantiallymidwayvo .the length -off the holder r2.5; orv elsewherei as-fdesiredf elastic rubber cr other suitable nippleor-'grommet |34;.having-anexternall annular groove 136; is forced into the hole-'|28 so that the groove receives the portion of- .the fwall I3 flgzdei'lningl the hole with` a.liquid-tight'.andfair-tight fit. The-nipple |34 has arbore-or'passage |38 communicatingwith thefinteri'or |40 offthetube |26-and, in the aportion I| 42 :of fthe: nipple extending free-of .theftubef has apreferablyspherical socket enlargement |44 andaared outerv end-. 4.5 for admitting and embracing;y with -a =liquidtight and` air-tight=t, av hollow 'ball ii-ri'ormed onthe free'end of a metal orf otherpreerablystiff copper orother--tube |52 andh having .a :discharge port The.-tube-| 52 is,=..-prefgeralsrlfy;:soldered-` asl at |54L orH otherwise hermetically seeuredftothe-operating end |555off aftube-fl 58 formed .aspart ofA a -wipe-r arm. |58. To the-lower. end |59 of the. Itube Vl aaonduigl 6g issoldered as.- ati 62A or otherwise hermetically secured,... The conduit |'B0may.be ofthe-same CII 4 material as the tube 34 and coiled as at |64 about the hub |06 of the arm |58 for the same purpose.

Welded to the tube |56 as at |10 or otherwise suitably secured to the side walls |12 or other parts of the tube |26 are leaf springs |14 or the like adapted to straddle and press against the flanges 88 of the Wiper arm I8 or the side walls |18 of the wiper arm |58, the springs having flared' terminalsA |18 t facilitate' entry of the wiper arm therebetween.

With either form of the invention the wiper arm can be readily inserted between and removed froml between the springs, and the ball 42 or |50 can be readily inserted into and removed from the socketprovided therefor, so that if for any reason either squeegee unit should require removal for inspection, repair or replacement, removal can be effected by the simple expedient of pulling the squeegee unit from the wiper arm, and, likewise, assembly" can be eiected by the simple'expedient of forcing them together.

Various modiiications comingwithin the spirit of our invention may sugges'tthernselves tothose skilled in the art, and hencel we do not wish-to be limited to the specic forms shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims', which are'to'be interpreted as broadly as the vstate' ofV the artwill permit.

We claim:

la A windshield wiper construction, vcomprising a supply of air under pressure, a container having'l a windshield-treatingliquid therein, a-substantially channel-shapedr Windshield wiper: arm, means includingv afrockt shaft for oscillatably mounting said arm at'thefweather side of a windishieldfahollowy squee/gee unit-having ports directed toward the windshield, a'condu'it'exten'ding from said liquid tofsaid-isqueegee unit, said conduit including av resilientm'etal tube coiled about'said shaftt andvtorsionally yieldabl'e in f response-to oscillation of said'arm and'extending beyond thev coiled portion along and-within said arm, said tube having a goose 'neck-adjacent the free end-oi?v said arm, said neck'terminating-in a hollow spherical end having a discharge opening, said squeegee unit incl'uding'a'1 yieldabl'el wiping element having a ball socket 'eXpansible--andcon tractibleI toI releasably admit' and-embrace'said ball. with a=substantiall'y` liquid-'tight and arrtightit, said arm having apart shieldingthe upper side.' of said gooseneck, cooperating means' on said unit and arm for holding them' in'predetermined relation, andmeans for selectively connecting said air supply to saidcontainer'or'to' said conduit, wnerc'ebysaidA air mayffor'ce said liquid to said squeegee unit or said air may pass' directly to said squeegeer unit, asd'esired.l

2. In a windshield wiper assembly of thextype wherein fluid? is directedifrom vaisqueegee' unit againstl the windshield',.a conduit having a section of stiff tubing with a goose neck terminatingfin a hollowiball integral with said' gooseneck'and havingai'di'scharge port, a' wiper arrn I 'having a. longitudinali channel in.' which' saidseetionisY re-1 ceived fonmovernent in unison wit-lrsaidl a'rm, anda hollow squeege'e unit-having'discharge ports thereal'o'ng'and' a branch inlet passage including' a' ball socket" coupled' with said'. ball,` sai'd unit" having spring guide means' straddling and' sub stantially engaginglsaid arm for'yieldably holding said-unitl in predetermined relation'to saidiar'm.

3.' nffa windshield wiper 'assembly-of the'type wherein fluid is'directedffrorn asqeegee'unit against: the windshield, a conduit having a fsec` tion of-'fsti' tubing-- terminating inA av hollow; ball' integral with said tubing and having a discharge port, a wiper arm having a longitudinal channel in which said section is received for movement in unison With said arm, and a hollow squeegee unit having discharge ports therealong and a branch inlet passage including a ball socket coupled with said ball, said unit having springn pressed means straddling and substantially engaging said arm for yieldably holding said unit in predetermined relation to said arm.

4. A Windshield Wiper arm having a tubular portion throughout a substantial part or" its length, a hollow ball communicating with an end of said tubular portion and having a discharge port, and a tube communicating with the other end of said tubular portion for conducting fluid to said tubular portion, said arm having a hub adapted to be oscillatably coupled to a motor, said tubular portion being coiled about said hub and 9 being exible to yield pursuant to oscillation of said arm.

HARRY B. GORDON. AARON GORDON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 755,521 Mortimer Mar. 22, 1904 1,279,444 Robertson Sept. 17, 1918 1,719,065 Fogland July 2, 1929 1,745,246 Colley Jan. 28, 1939 2,069,699 Dohler Feb. 2, 1937 2,091,928 Horton Aug. 31, 1937 2,168,202 Grantham Aug. 1, 1939 2,173,921 LongWell Sept. 12, 1939 2,318,529 Sailer May 4, 1943 2,348,502 `Smulski May 9, 1944 

